BCCI considers T20Is as a criterion for central contracts for the first time

Players such as Shardul Thakur, Navdeep Saini and Deepak Chahar who have done well for India in the past season have been rewarded by the BCCI with central contracts. For the very first time, BCCI has included the criteria of number of T20Is played in order to get central contracts.

A BCCI official told TOI,

“The selectors were told to go ahead with this new criterion for T20 specialists. This is likely to be approved in the next apex council meeting.”

BCCI introduced the criterion of playing at least 10 T20Is in order to get a central contract. The idea was to reward T20 specialists with the view of preparing a core for the upcoming T20 World Cup Down Under.

Also see – World Test Championship Schedule

The source further added,

“The board is looking forward to the two T20 World Cups scheduled for the next two years. That’s why the players who have done well in white-ball cricket post the 2019 World Cup — like Deepak Chahar, Navdeep Saini, Shardul Thakur, Shreyas Iyer, and Washington Sundar — have been given contracts.

"These players are seen as prospects to make it to the T20 World Cup in Australia in October. KL Rahul too has been promoted to Grade A from B largely based on his form in white-ball cricket.”

Navdeep Saini is the only exception to get a contract as he played less than 10 T20Is for India.